ARIZONA: 2017 93-69, second place, wild card, lost to Dodgers in NLDS
MANAGER Torey Lovullo (second season)
ADDITIONS: OF Steven Souza Jr., OF Jarrod Dyson, C Alex Avila, RHP Yoshihisa Hirano, RHP Brad Boxberger
SUBTRACTIONS: OF J.D. Martinez, 2B Brandon Drury, C Chris Iannetta, RHP Fernando Rodney
OUTLOOK: With all five starters back and nearly every position player returning, the Diamondbacks expect to be in the thick of things in the NL West after their big turnaround season under Lovullo, the NL MANAGER of the Year. The loss of Martinez hurts the offense but the acquisition of Souza -- who will begin the season on the disabled list -- and signing of Dyson should help. In addition, several players who missed much or most of last season with injuries are back, including Ahmed and utilityman Chris Owings. Greinke's initial start was pushed back a few days after he experienced tightness in his groin during a spring training outing, but it's not expected to be serious. Ray hopes to improve on his breakout season, giving the team a solid 1-2 pitching punch. The lineup could use a return to form at the plate for Pollock, who struggled a bit after missing nearly all of 2016 due to injury. Marte figures to get plenty of time at second base and some at shortstop. Owings and Daniel Descalso can play pretty much every infield spot as well as the outfield.

PHILADELPHIA: 2017 66-96, fifth place
MANAGER Gabe Kapler (first season)
ADDITIONS: RHP Jake Arrieta, 1B Carlos Santana, RHP Pat Neshek, RHP Tommy Hunter
SUBTRACTIONS: Manager Pete Mackanin, SS Freddy Galvis, INF Andres Blanco, OF Daniel Nava, OF Hyun Soo Kim, RHP Clay Buchholz, 1B Tommy Joseph
OUTLOOK: The decision to sign Arrieta signals the rebuild is over. The Phillies added Santana, Neshek and Hunter to a talented young roster in hopes of being competitive. A month into spring training, they added Arrieta because management thinks it's time to contend. The lineup has the potential to be dynamic if the young hitters continue to emerge and Santana does what he did in Cleveland. The bullpen should be formidable with Hunter-Neshek-Neris at the back end. If Arrieta regains his old form, Nola lives up to his promise and a couple of other starters take steps forward, the Phillies cannot only end their five-year run of losing seasons but maybe even make a surprise push for a postseason berth.

PREVIEW

Phillies' Arrieta faces Diamondbacks' Greinke

A pair of former Cy Young Award winners will match up Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Jake Arrieta will face Zack Greinke as the Phillies host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second of a three-game series in Philadelphia. The pair of veteran right-handers are both coming off their best starts of 2018.

Arrieta (2-0, 2.04 ERA) struck out 10 and gave up just one hit to the Pirates over seven scoreless innings last Thursday while picking up the win. It was the sharpest of three starts in a Phillies uniform for Arrieta, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2015 with the Chicago Cubs.

Arrieta signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Phillies in mid-March and said he feels like he is getting into a groove with his new team.

"Three starts in, to be able to do that as well as I did (Thursday), it's a good sign," Arrieta told reporters after silencing the Pirates. "Combined with spring training and my three starts, that's probably five or six starts. I was a little behind, but now I'm caught up."

The 10 strikeouts for Arrieta were the most he had in a game since April 9, 2017, and they came after he recorded just six strikeouts in his first two starts of the season combined.

Arrieta is 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.073 WHIP in seven career starts against the Diamondbacks. He faced them twice last year, going 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA.

Greinke (2-1, 4.13) has had considerable career success against the Phillies. He is 8-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 0.903 WHIP and .192 batting average against in 11 appearances (10 starts) when he faces Philadelphia.

Greinke, who has four All-Star appearances to go with his 2009 American League Cy Young Award, had his best start of 2018 in his last appearance. He surrendered just one run on three hits and one walk over seven innings against the Giants on Thursday.

"He gave us seven incredible innings, working both edges of the plate," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said of Greinke after the start. "He had a great mixture of pitches. He and (catcher Jeff Mathis) got in a great rhythm and turned it over to the bullpen."

Greinke's strong start against San Francisco came after he allowed at least four earned runs in back-to-back outings against the Cardinals and Dodgers.

Greinke will try to keep up a string of strong pitching from the Diamondbacks, who have a team ERA of 2.80 in 22 games this season. Arizona pitchers have gone seven straight games without allowing more than four runs.

Offensively, the Diamondbacks got three home runs -- one each from Alex Avilia, Jarrod Dyson and Daniel Descalso -- in an 8-4 win in Tuesday's series opener. It marked the eighth straight win for the Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. They swept a series in Philadelphia in both the 2017 and 2016 seasons and have not lost in the City of Brotherly Love since May 17, 2015.

A win on Wednesday or Thursday would give the Diamondbacks their eighth straight series win to start the 2018 season.